Braintree, a Payments Company, Buys Venmo for $26.2 Million — The mobile payments war continues to escalate. — Braintree, a payments company that supplies technology to process credit card transactions on a mobile phone, said it purchased Venmo, a start-up that lets people send and receive money to their friends.

Diaspora's Next Act: Social Remixing Site Makr.io — If you were to come across a group of people sitting in a room together, all with their own laptops out, sending each other jokes online, you might think that was a little weird, right? — “Antisocial” is one word that comes to mind.

Apple's New Front in Battle for TV — Apple Inc. is in talks with some of the biggest U.S. cable operators about letting consumers use an Apple device as a set-top box for live television and other content, according to people familiar with the matter. — The talks represent Apple's …

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange granted asylum in Ecuador — Julian Assange has been granted political asylum by the Ecuadorian government after taking refuge in its London embassy in June. — LONDON — Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been granted political asylum by the Ecuadorian government …

Apple bashes Amazon and proposed ebook settlement — In a memo filed with the Southern District of New York this afternoon (PDF; embedded below), Apple argues that the Department of Justice's proposed settlement with three book publishers forces Apple to tear up existing contracts.

Zynga Puts Real Money Into Gambling Lobby — Zynga Inc. has begun investing in state and federal lobbying efforts around gambling with real money, even as the social gaming firm predicts the U.S. won't be an initial market for the potentially lucrative new line of business.

Dunkin Donuts gets into the mobile payment game — Dunkin Donuts is following in the footsteps of rival Starbucks with the launch of its first mobile app, allowing users to pay for coffee and donuts with their smartphone. The app, available for iOS and Android, creates a virtual Dunkin Donuts card …